Ocular
by etcetera-cat
Summary: The niche interests of Companions, and the situations they lead to.  A Grass is Greener story.


**Disclaimer:** Characters are mine, concept is not.

**Notes:** This is irredeemably ridiculous. This, in fact, is what happens when I write letters to Jaelle having just accidentally pimped her into Doctor Who a few weeks previously. Knowledge of new!Who (particularly the episode "Blink") possibly makes this make sense, but mainly, y'know, it's ridiculous.

**Ocular**

Over the years—and there had been more than a few of them—Alex had developed a tolerance for certain things, not least of which could be best described by merely saying 'Teva'.

It was, Alex thought, amazing just _how_ many things in his life could be explained away by prefixing (or, indeed, suffixing, as Lord and Lady only knew that Teva had a singular ability to creep up from behind) that one particular name to matters. It was also amazing just how much sympathy could be produced—particularly on the Palace grounds—by invoking thought of his Companion.

As impressive as it was, Alex wasn't entirely sure that it was _quite_ what either King Valdemar or the gods had had in mind back during the Founding.

Still. He was wool gathering, and that was not going to help matters at all. A hefty sigh.

"All morning, you said?"

"Aye." The groom bobbed his head and scratched at his unruly mop of hair with one callused hand. "Din't happen to be noticing her at first, then jus' figgered it were more of _Them's_ stuff." A lopsided shrug which Alex correctly interpreted to mean that groom attached to the Companion Stables Robur may be, but that didn't mean that he was going to be poking into things that were none of his business.

Alex was certain that he wasn't the only Herald to occasionally wish for a little more in the way of directed curiosity when it involved those who worked at caring for the resident Companions in the Field. Some directed curiosity might have helped to explain what he was looking at right now, for example.

The Herald stared at his Companion for a long moment. On reflection, he decided, probably not.

"Well, thank you for finding me and letting me know, Robur," Alex said as graciously as he could. "I'd better go and see whatever burr she's gotten in her tail this time."

"Good luck to y'sir." Robur investigated another itch on his scalp. "Reckon 'twas some of Them's witchery last night. Over half of Thems went off to the Grove, y'ken."

Another sigh. "Yes, Robur, I know. I'm sure you have duties?" Alex allowed himself to sag out of upright posture as the groom mumbled something and spirited himself off. Which left Alex standing alone on the edge of the walled garden that his Companion had picked for the latest in the long line of peculiarities.

"Teva?" No response, not that Alex had expected it to be _that_ easy. No; there'd been no shouting, actual bodily harm or wild accusations.

Yet, Alex mentally added. He picked his way over to Teva's side and cleared his throat noisily.

No response.

"Teva?" A more insistent tone of voice, plus an unceremonious elbow to the side also had no effect. She didn't look any more twitterpatted than usual; nor were there any obvious head wounds (always a consideration for someone who managed to fall through quite as many hedges as Teva did). Alex finally turned his attention to what seemed to have captivated his Companion.

As display pieces in the ornamental gardens went, it wasn't the most over-the-top or hideous. To Alex's gaze, the ornamental plants were well carved and acted as a nice frame for both the small fountain and the gracefully posed figure that stared out over the garden in gentle—if blank—benediction.

_:Don't look in its eyes!_:

"Oh, talking to me now, are we?" Alex half turned his head and regarded Teva. "Is there any particular reason that you're decorating the garden?"

The mare widened her eyes, making the blue of her irises stand out more, but singularly failed to remove her apparent attention from the statue. _:Don't look in its eyes!_: she repeated. _:And, for the love of Kernos, _don't blink_!:_

"Mmhmm." Alex perched himself on a flat part of the sculpture that was probably intended for just such purpose, and squinted at Teva. She seemed to be going out of her way to be preternaturally white. It was like being Bonded to an overly polished mirror. "Won't my eyes get dried out?"

_:Alternate closing them,_: Teva said shortly, most of her attention still patently on the inoffensive stone.

"I don't suppose that this had anything to do with the reason you vanished for a couple of marks last night?" Alex idly tapped his fingers. "You and about half of the Field."

No response.

"Rather similar to the way that varying numbers of you lot vanish off on a pretty much weekly basis. What do you get up to?"

_:Niche interests. Socialising.:_ A pause, during which Teva essayed a careful round of eye closing and opening. _:Not every facet of our existence revolves around keeping our Heralds out of trouble.:_

"You wound me."

_:Just as long as you don't blink.:_

"I shall make a note of that." Alex leaned back and half-closed his eyes as he tipped his face towards the sun.

_:But don't look in their eyes.:_

"Yes, Teva." It was easier to agree. Experience had taught that lesson quickly.

_:And don't blink.:_

"I've not forgotten," Alex said soothingly. Possibly, at some point, he'd be able to get Sam to persuade Harali to provide some kind of context.

At least staring at statues was less destructive than falling through hedges.


End file.
